


Labor Pains

by CelticHeartedFanfic



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Pregnancy, Rumbelle Showdown 2016, labor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-14
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-06-02 06:57:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6556351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelticHeartedFanfic/pseuds/CelticHeartedFanfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Last entry of mine for the 2016 Rumbelle Showdown -- third round.  Prompts were:  A quiet seaside town, Beach, “He’s not my father”.  This is just a one shot and is NOT going to continue into a verse.  This is a Regina-friendly story for Evil Regals as well.</p><p>Summary:  Professor Rummond Gold's wife Belle goes into labor the night of a ceremony in his honor, much to the chagrin of his school's dean, Regina Mills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Labor Pains

Professor Rummond Gold was the Department of Anthropology chairman at Storybrooke University, a small but prestigious private university in Storybrooke, Maine, a quiet seaside town that was part college town, part domain for the fishing and cannery industries, and a quaint little tourist stop for those who ventured up that far to visit. Rummond's specialty was cultural anthropology; his entire life he had been fascinated by the many cultures of the world, spending much of his career traveling to different places to do research. His career and accompanying travels, however, took a toll on his marriage, as well as his relationship with his son, Neal. The latter was his only regret – his ex-wife, Milah, made it quite clear that she had never loved him, particularly when he was hit by a car while traveling in Dubai and suffered an injury that permanently damaged his right leg. It was this injury that led him to settle into a tenure track position in Storybrooke.

His son, Neal, once he reached college age, decided to enroll at Storybrooke, partly because it was a quality school, and partly to make an attempt to build a relationship with his father. Things had been going well enough on that front, and Rummond Gold was satisfied with his quiet life in this little town, accepting that the rest of his life was simply going to be what it was and nothing more.

He made this determination before he met Belle French.

Belle was a student in an anthropology intro class he taught. She was nineteen when they met, and they spent a good part of the course sparring and arguing and subtly flirting with one another, never acting on their mutual attraction until the course was finished and grades were submitted. Belle made the first move and asked him out for coffee. Now three years later, Rummond Gold was being honored for one of his research papers that spawned a PBS series, and Belle, now his wife, was expecting their first child.

Regina Mills, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Storybrooke, despite her distaste for the man, spared no expense on the ceremony to honor Rummond Gold, as it was going to be covered in the national news. Regina may not have cared much for Gold, but free publicity definitely trumped her feelings of animosity.

All eyes were on Gold when he entered the room with Belle on his arm. She was a stunning beauty, and she was very, _very_ pregnant. She looked uncomfortable as Gold helped her into the seat in the front row before he made his way to the stage. His son, Neal, was seated next to Belle.

"Are you sure you're alright, sweetheart?" Gold asked her.

"I'm fine. I wasn't about to miss this day, it's too important to you. Go on up there – Neal and I will be cheering you on."

"We're really proud of you, Papa," Neal said, and Gold beamed with pride as he made his way to the stage.

Regina put on quite a show introducing Gold; one would never guess that she was not his biggest fan. She found him rude, condescending, and argumentative, as did many of his students. His student reviews were abysmal and his 'Rate My Professor' score was embarrassing, but he had tenure and respect in his field and there wasn't much she could do. After a video clip was shown and Regina introduced Gold to the crowd, everyone stood up to cheer as Gold approached the podium. Suddenly a loud squeal came from a high pitched voice in the front row, and Regina looked out and spotted the culprit immediately. She pulled Gold aside and whispered in his ear.

"Gold, in the future, would you please inform your child bride that this is an academic event, not a _One Direction_ concert, and she is expected to behave appropriately." Ignoring Regina's comment, Gold moved toward the front of the stage.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" he called out worriedly as he noticed Neal helping her to sit back down.

"My water broke," Belle called out, and the entire audience gasped loudly. Gold limped to her side as fast as he was able, and Regina made an attempt over the microphone to settle the crowd, to no avail. All eyes were on Belle, and eventually Regina made her way toward the front row as well.

"You're not due for another week," Gold insisted.

"Apparently the baby thinks otherwise," Belle said, and she let out a loud scream, the first labor pain hitting her hard. She grabbed onto Gold hand and squeezed it tightly, and he grimaced in pain.

"I called 9-1-1 – you are NOT having this baby here, we just had new seats put in the auditorium!" Regina shouted at Belle.

"That's all you care about? Your bloody SEATS? You did nothing but try to sabotage my relationship with Rum! You tried planting false evidence that we were carrying on an affair during the class I took, when you knew all along it wasn't true! You're noting but an evil, heartless witch and now all you care about are your precious SEATS? Get away from me!"

"Sweetheart, calm down, don't get upset," Gold said, trying to soothe her.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Belle snapped at him, then started to cry. "This isn't how it was supposed to be."

"Hey, it's gonna be okay, don't worry," Neal chimed in, squeezing her other hand.

"He's right, love. Try to – try to think about some place relaxing. Like the beach," Gold suggested.

"The BEACH? I'm in labor in the middle of an auditorium and you want me to think about the BEACH? For what – to imagine an even more stupid location for this to happen?"

"Well how about – the woods? You like going for walks there, you said you find it very relaxing," Gold suggested, and Belle shot him a glare.

"Papa – you're not helping," Neal said, and Gold sighed in exasperation.

It was nearly twenty-five minutes before the paramedics arrived, and during that time Belle experienced yet another contraction. Gold immediately started screaming at them, and they did their best to ignore his tirade and tend to Belle.

"Listen mister, your daughter is in good hands, she'll be just fine," one of the paramedics said, and Belle glared at him angrily.

"He's not my father, he's my husband, you idiot!" she shouted at the man, who blushed in embarrassment. Regina snickered at her comment, impressed that the little bookworm had some teeth on her. She presumed this was the labor pains talking, but maybe not. For the first time, Regina understood how this odd and unlikely pairing made sense.

* * *

 

Belle's labor was surprisingly quick for a first pregnancy, and despite a rocky start at an unexpected time, the delivery went well. The next afternoon, Regina peeked into Belle's room at the hospital carrying a small plush kitten. "Can I come in?" she asked in a whisper. Belle was sitting up on the bed, her daughter wrapped in a blanket in her arms and Gold sitting on the bed next to her.

"I guess," Belle answered, and Regina entered the room.

"You made the news. Apparently you and your daughter are the local celebrities of the week," Regina said. "You lost your spotlight moment to the women in your life, Gold."

"That's fine with me," Gold said, and he gave Belle a kiss on the cheek.

"I didn't know what you liked, but – I like cats, so – here," Regina said, handing Belle the stuffed toy.

"Thank you," Belle replied.

"Look, I – I know I was kind of a bitch yesterday and – three years ago and – pretty much every day in between. I was wrong. I am sorry – I really am."

"Something you want, dearie?" Gold asked suspiciously.

"Rum," Belle said in a chiding tone, "maybe she just wants to do something nice."

"Sure she does."

"I don't expect you to believe me, but – I am happy for you. Hey, if a pain in the ass like you can find someone to love, there's still hope for me, right?" Regina teased.

"Of course there is," Belle replied.

"What's her name?" Regina asked.

"Lucy Rose Gold," Gold replied.

"You want to hold her?" Belle asked.

"Oh, I'm – I'm not good with babies," Regina said.

"It's not that hard. Just watch her head," Belle said, and Regina gently took the little girl into her arms.

"She's beautiful," Regina commented.

"Of course she is, she looks like her mother." Gold replied.

"Good thing," Regina retorted, and she handed the baby back to Belle. "I should go. Congratulations. Both of you." After Regina left the room, Belle looked up at Gold.

"Well, that was – odd."

"Indeed."

"Maybe she's softening. Babies tend to do that to people."

"Babies and smart, beautiful, amazing women. I love you, Belle."

"I love you too." The Gold family cuddled together contently, as they thought about all that lay ahead for them.


End file.
